RangeMan Rules of Engagement
by Kadyn
Summary: After another disaster Steph accepts permanent employment from Ranger. Then when Ranger goes 'in the wind' Steph gets roped into a series of 'challenges' from the MerryMen! All designed to make her a better bounty hunter…or so they claim… Is it possible the MerryMen are having a little fun at Ranger and Steph's expense? …nobodies that brave, are they? ! Babe Pairing!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine!**

_This will definitely be several chapters! _

_And it's Babe all the way! _

_Edited 10/20 for some pretty horrific typos, my laptop likes to select words and sometimes entire sentences while I type and relocate or delete them and that seems to have happened here particularly at the end. I hope I've fixed most of it, if not all! _

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**Chapter One**

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The building was on fire, but it wasn't my fault.

I stood transfixed in the parking lot with the rest of the residents equally horrified and fascinated by the roaring of flames licking off the top of the building to twist a good twenty feet further into the night sky. The distorted wash of sound echoing through the night that heralded a mass of approaching emergency vehicles slowly grew louder until it started to drown out the varied reactions of the crowd gathered, even at this late hour to watch it burn, finally dragged me from the collective stupor that seemed to have befallen the rest of the bedraggled residents around me.

Several things occurred to me at once, none of them improving my mood.

I was barefoot, home-less and didn't even have a car to huddle in since mine had bit the big one not two days ago—suspiciously I might add, or well I guess not that suspiciously since I hadn't received a note or threatening voice messages in the last two weeks and let's face it. Around me things tend to go, well, _Boom!_ even without a stalker or crazed maniac out to kill me. I just have that kind of shit luck. Hence the building, or lack of one I realized watching the roof of the top floor collapse in on itself.

I was also freezing and half-naked. Which was better than _totally_ naked—if I'd been Ranger for example the first responders would have to arrest me for indecent exposure…or overly decent exposure, Hell. The cops would have to Billy-club the hell out of every female in a twelve block radius just to see what was going on. Even fully clothed that man could and almost did start riots.

Speaking of Ranger, I realized the phone in my hand was trying to get my attention. The Batman theme almost inaudible over the din of the lot. I was lucky it was on the nightstand when the alarms went off and I thought to grab it. I was also lucky it had more than half a battery seeing as I had no cord, no outlet and no place to keep spare change for a payphone. Walking to Haywood seemed like a crap idea at this hour—even if I had pants, I'd probably freeze to death or get kidnapped before I got half-way there!

I glanced at the readout instinctively knowing who it was, it wasn't all that difficult really. At this hour and in this predicament it was one of two people. And seeing as one of them wasn't exactly talking to me right now, again, it wasn't much of a contest.

"Babe," Ranger's smooth sexy voice sounded in my ear the moment the line was open and I had the cold screen of the smartphone pressed to one cheek. Ranger can convey a lot with one word. Which is good, because more often than not one word was all I got. Loquacious Ranger was not. This particular 'Babe' sounded tired, like maybe he'd been woken from a deep sleep at this un-godly hour by the control room alerting him to the police scanner going Apeshit about a burning building. Even Batman needs sleep.

"It wasn't my fault." I announced dancing from foot to foot on the hard, cold, rough surface beneath my bare feet.

"Babe," Ranger replied, this time the endearment held obvious amusement. He also sounded relieved I realized—probably because I was answering, which meant I wasn't a crispy critter. "They're telling me your building is on fire." He added a beat later the concern was back. I doubted Ranger got up in the dead of night when just any old building in New Jersey burned down to the ground. I should probably feel special, okay, so I _do_ feel a little special—but I also feel pretty annoyed. This kinda shit happens way too much around me, lately it's been getting kinda old.

"Yeah, only thing we're missing is hotdogs and S'mores." I glared at the flames curling into the night sky and thought that pretty much covered it.

The second the alarms went off probably half of Rangeman Ranger's private security company probably knew all about it. They're always mysteriously well-informed like that, especially when it comes to my disasters. I doubted I needed to explain to him that there was no saving my apartment this time—forget a new bathroom. I needed a whole new place to live with my current apartment building still in the midst of a five-alarmer… whatever that is. I heard it last week on 'Rescue Me' and this seemed like an appropriate time to add it to my regular vocabulary. My disaster-description vocab needed some freshening up since I had to use it so often.

"That kinda TV will rot your brain, Babe." Ranger chuckled in my ear making my pulse race. I was amusing him again, guess I'm still entertainment, even homeless. Figures. He paused for a moment, maybe listening to the muffled voice in the background. I guess he was in the control room or somewhere else on Rangeman business at this late hour and not alone in his apartment. "You need me to pick you up?" Ranger asked. He'd probably just been informed that the building was completely kaput, or remembered that I didn't have a car.

"No I'll take the Bus!" _Sarcasm. Oh, probably not the best thing to throw at Ranger at three-something-am when I really need a favor. It would serve me right if he hung up on me._

"Not going to hang up on you Babe," His tone darkened until my nipples contracted further in the cold. "And you can ask for favors anytime you _want_ them."

_HotDamn_, wet panties really wasn't helping the cold situation; it certainly wasn't helping my current chest condition. I crossed the arm not holding the phone over my breasts before I threatened to put someone's eye out half-way across the lot and groaned. I need to get the filter between my brain and mouth fixed. I scrubbed tired fingers over my eyes before rubbing my free hand over my bare upper arm hoping to scare up some warmth with a little friction. Trying desperately not to think about _other_ ways to make friction…_Hooboy._

A hard shiver that had nothing to do with Ranger rolled down my spine making my teeth chatter. Turns out a tank-top and panties are fine for sleeping in but not so great for standing around outside in forty-five degree weather, …where people were starting to notice the novelty of the burning building apparently losing its appeal for some of the spectators gathered around. "Okay, Um could you hurry?" I entreated nervously biting back another shiver and edging my way back to the side of the lot, out of the direct view of the emergency vehicles now arriving in full force, also conveniently hiding my mostly bare-ass between two closely parked cars.

"Are you hurt?" His tone grew clipped. I heard what sounded like the parking garage door to the stairwell at the Rangeman building slam shut in the background.

"Um, No." I paused wondering how to explain this without dying of embarrassment.

"Babe," This meant '_What are you not telling me? And why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like it?_'

"I'm not wearing any pants." I rushed out on a single breath.

Silence. I pulled the phone away from my ear to stare at the display screen wondering if I'd lost him—or if he'd hung up already. He does that sometimes. He hadn't. I pressed the phone back to my ear hard enough to hear his breathing, it sounded—strained.

"Ranger?" Maybe he didn't hear me, I did say it awful fast.

"Babe," the name was barely more than a growl this time, _oh, he heard all right_. "Tell me your wearing shorts," He ground out and I thought I heard a car door shut.

"Uh, nope."

"Granny panties?" I swear I heard the sound of a turbo engine rev'd to capacity.

I snorted. "Um, you know that lime green thong?" The one he'd called '_pretty_' the time I'd gotten stitches and he'd needed to check my thigh, sending my hormones into such a state I almost spontaneously combusted on the spot…

"Dios, Babe!" And okay, that was _definitely_ a turbo-powered engine red-lining. _Interesting_, the hormone driven portion of my brain piped up. "You wearing that thong now Babe? I like that thong," Ranger's tone dropped an octave sending a shiver down my spine and making the top of my thighs wet.

_Sweet Jesus, I was going to slide right off the leather seat at the first stoplight by the time he picked me up._

"No, this one's black…and it…covers…less," I managed to squeak out. I didn't want to tell him more than that. Hell I didn't really want them to see them…okay, that's not entirely true, part of me wanted him to see them, a lot, like _a lot_ a lot... Most of my brain and every hormone I possessed thought that was a brilliant sounding idea…but the little bit of sanity left over was downright _terrified _of that scenario.

Not because I was afraid of Ranger…not the way most people are at least. Self-preservation told me Ranger-induced orgasms while A-Ma-Zing were dangerous for my health for other reasons. Like the oh so little side-effect of having my heart-broken when he got up and walked away the next morning. Been there done that. And, Ouch.

God knows I have a really hard time not sticking my tongue down his throat and keeping my hands off of him on a normal I'm-fully-clothed-and-in-public bases, and now I was half naked and his name was written on my underwear! Ranger's always made it clear he's a partial-consent, opportunist kinda guy…somehow I didn't think the challenge of waving a red flag in the form of my barely-there lace thong in his face would go un-answered... especially considering what was written on them.

"Playing with fire, Babe." There was a pregnant pause where I cursed myself and tried to remember how to breathe while wondering how much of THAT I might have said out loud. Then he added, "I thought all the underwear Ella monogramed for you were boy shorts."

_Hooboy,_ guess I mentioned _the name._ How to explain this one? "They were…" was all I got out. Just let me die now of embarrassment, please God before he gets here. I'm pretty damn certain my whole face was red.

I silently cursed Connie, Lula and Mary Lou for my current predicament. If they hadn't bought these damn things as a joke almost a year ago for my birthday they wouldn't have been in the back of my underwear drawer for me to put on in the first place…and if I hadn't been avoiding my mother and her marathon-ironing-spree like the plague I'd have had _normal_, name-free, clean underwear to put on and wouldn't have had to resort to digging these out of the very back corner where I'd hidden them months ago terrified that Joe, or _worse_ Ranger would see them on accident! Yet here I was.

At least my apartment burned down full of dirty laundry, I reasoned. If I'd actually braved the gremlins in the basement laundry room and had lost a basket full of freshly folded…well…okay slightly wrinkled but clean clothes in this apartment roast that would have been truly depressing. I'd probably be in tears if that were the case. Now I was just damn cold, and kinda wishing I'd been a little less judgmental on those pizza sauce stained yoga-pants. It wasn't like they smelled, and at least then my ass would be covered!

On the up side, at least I didn't have to do laundry anymore. Mostly because I didn't _have_ any laundry. Or shoes. Or different, name-less underpants. And Okay, so maybe not such a high-point after all. What the hell was I gonna wear?

"I vote for nothing," Ranger all but purred in my ear. My brain crash landed in the middle of '_Holy Crap!_ _land'_ delivering up a verbal blue screen of death and leaving me doing a pretty good fish impersonation in the lot and blushing scarlet. And that was before I saw Morelli's standard issue POS unmarked cruiser pull into the crowded lot.

"SHIT!" I ducked down between the two vehicles and actually covered my head with my arm. Yeah like that was going to help. Duck and cover people. Another Stephanie Plum vs. Joe Morelli fight of epic proportion is coming soon to a parking lot near you…

"Babe?!" This meant, '_What the Fuck is happening right now and do I need to exit the car guns drawn?' Tempting,_ I thought. _If RescueRanger shot Morelli he'd probably be distracted enough to not notice my underwear… Not a fatal wound mind you, just winging him…yeah that could work_ I reasoned still hiding between the two cars breathing too fast.

We hadn't exactly been getting along in the month since we called it quits—again. And it wasn't helped by the fact that I was pretty damn certain this time it was permanent instead of the usual 'on hiatus' road blocks we hit in our not-so-normal relationship. Apparently having the engagement ring you'd slipped on your sleeping sorta-girlfriend's finger without her knowledge in the middle of the night thrown back in your face the next morning with a screaming match could do that. _Who knew?_

I peeked over the hood of the car I'd hunkered down behind for cover and caught sight of Morelli scanning the crowd hands pressed to his hip, he turned to one of my neighbors obviously asking if they'd seen me only to see them both start looking around again. I ducked back down cursing again and praying I hadn't been spotted. I so did not need this right now on top of everything else in my life. Together or not, Joe wasn't likely to take my state of undress, or the building fire, or the _Name_ on my thong with even an iota of grace. Nope, Nada, combined together these three things just might lead him to a stroke. One of those big ones, that sends the top of people's heads popping off like in cartoons.

I seriously did not want to be responsible for Joe's death, and if Ranger found Joe trying to drag me to his car in my underwear he might just kill him. So not good.

"Stephanie, Babe, Answer Me!" Ranger hissed in my ear drawing my attention instantly. I realized I hadn't answered him yet. _Oops._

"Morelli just showed up," I gasped trying to stay quiet since I could no longer see Joe's location from my hunkered down position knowing if I didn't explain quickly guns-drawn Rambo Ranger was a distinct possibility when he arrived. "God, Ranger I really, reeeeeally do not want to deal with him right now." I didn't have the strength for that, not tonight anyway, especially not without pants.

"I'm coming around the corner now." Ranger growled, actually turning my head I realized that was the sound of a sleek black Porsche Turbo sliding to a stop in the street just outside the lot.

"Stephanie!"

_Shit! _ Morelli!

I didn't wait for Ranger to get out; nobody else I know drives a Batmobile. I just bolted out from between the cars jerking the door open and all but throwing myself into the passenger seat slamming the door behind me. I slapped my hand down over the lock a split second later. If I was in the driver seat I'd have slammed my bare foot down on the gas and launched us into the next county. I was pretty proud the entire flight to the safety of the Batmobile had probably taken me 2.5 seconds. But glancing out the window at Morelli's stunned expression told me it still hadn't been fast enough for him to not get an eyeful of my bare butt cheeks as I rabbited to the car.

God I was so going to hear from my mother about this.

Ranger reached across me and pulled the seat belt over my frozen thighs, clicking the belt in place before pressing the back of his fingers to my bare skin only inches from where I was throbbing from his earlier words.

"Dios, Babe you're freezing." His palm rubbed up and down my leg while he cranked up the heat with his other hand.

I tried not to make my breathless reaction to his touch more obvious than it already was; I'd just blame it on the running, sure that was it. We both knew even I wasn't _that_ out of shape. I dragged my eyes away from Joe's livid expression as he started stomping towards the vehicle whipping my head around to stare at Ranger's dark eyes wondering why the hell we were still sitting at the curb, not moving.

Ranger was just staring at me, his whole frame preternaturally still…no that's not quite accurate. Ranger was looking like he wanted to eat me alive. And _Dear God,_ I was already in such a state I just might let him…

"Te lo juro, que está tratando de matarme," Ranger muttered in Spanish and shifted his free hand to the back of my neck pulling me half across the gear shifter and sealed his lips to mine before I could wonder what the heck that meant. Then I forgot to care a second later with the way Ranger was kissing me. God the man knows how to kiss, with Ranger's lips it was an art form. I moaned—no make that a religion I thought. I didn't call him the Cuban Sex God for nothing! Ranger growled fingers tightening in my hair. His lips slanting farther over mine making my toes curl and my breath escape on a desperate moan against his lips and my stomach summersault beneath my ribs.

My brain went into melt-down mode, and I forgot all about the burning building and where I was and just lost myself in the feel of Ranger's perfect mouth against mine. His tongue tracing my lower lip and the dark almost primal growl that rumbled out of his chest when I leaned far enough into him that my hand ended up on his thigh inches from his hip. The sound shivered down my spine the sensation amplified when he sucked my tongue into his mouth and his fingers slid higher up my thigh almost to the strip of black lace edging my thigh while I shifted my ass in the seat unconsciously thrusting towards him in blatant invitation.

The pounding on the window made me jump damn near out of my skin. I was lucky I didn't bite my own lip when I yelped in surprise—or Rangers. I jerked my hand back from Ranger's thigh like I'd been burned and twisted my neck to see Joe leaned down to the passenger side window looking beyond pissed. I swear steam was coming out his ears…though maybe that was just an illusion what with the smoke from the building still pouring into the night sky behind his back. I leaned back towards Ranger's side unconsciously moving away from the Joe's obvious rage my eyes still locked on Joe's angry expression. _I swear he was glaring right at me._

"Relax Babe, he can't see us." Ranger chuckled darkly his thumb tracing the inner edge of lace between my thighs making my breath catch and forcing me to bite my bottom lip to stop the moan trying to work its way out of my throat. "I like the lime green thong, but these might be my new favorite," Ranger informed me in a voice that belonged in the bedroom. _So _not helping my current state, which was getting pretty overwhelming I might add, especially after that kiss. Wowzers.

He liked them now and he hadn't even seen the monograming yet, at least I was pretty certain he hadn't or I figured my ass would be honking the horn right now while I hit the high notes on a doomsday-orgasm curtesy of the one and only Cuban Sex God. _Don't go there Stephanie_, I reminded myself, or I'd likely climb into his lap and start singing the halleluiah chorus.

Joe pounded on the window again while I fought with my brain to form coherent sentences. I swallowed, and cleared my throat. "Can we go?"

Ranger's thumb made another pass over my sensitive inner thigh and my head dropped back to the headrest and this time there was no stopping the moan.

"Where to Babe?" I glanced at him trying to ignore Joe now cursing and shouting my name outside through the dark glass considering my options. There weren't many. I didn't have money or even a bank card for a hotel, and I really didn't want to go to my mother's I had been avoiding her for almost two weeks. If I stepped into her Foyer dressed like this now I'd probably be the sole cause of her needing to go to AA.

"Take me home please," I finally said.

Ranger's eyes dilated black and I wondered if I should have worded that better, right before he withdrew his hand to shift the car into gear and tore away from the curb probably almost taking Joe's nose with us considering the way his face was pressed against the glass. I'd worry about that later though, after I figured out how to get into the Haywood building and up to Ranger's seventh floor penthouse without flashing everyone on staff with my bare ass—and without Ranger seeing the words emblazoned scarcely three inches above my doodah. I so did NOT need pictures of that posted on the break-room corkboard next to the meeting schedule! Yikes.

_Why Me?_ I wondered and then cringed inwardly realizing I sounded like my mother. Except in this circumstance I felt the expression was sorta warranted, I didn't set the building on fire, and I didn't think some psycho trying to kill me did either; not this time at least. It wasn't my fault Connie and Lula thought my current clothing article was hilarious and bought it for me! It wasn't like I asked for it, Hell I never even mentioned the logo on my Rangeman briefs because I was worried it would hit the burg' grapevine like a wildfire out of control. Which was exactly why I should have burned these panties the second I got home almost a year ago, but instead I'd stuffed them in the very back of my drawer, terrified someone else would see them, but not willing to get rid of them either after the little thrill that went through me reading the words and wishing it was true. I certainly would never be brave enough to claim such a thing, even in the privacy of my own bedroom where no one would know!

I'd only put them on tonight out of desperation for something clean to wear, and I was going to just pretend that slipping them over my hips and catching sight of the words even in reverse in the bedside mirror didn't make me feel incredibly naughty. I certainly wasn't wet and breathless the second I put them on. I so not going to admit that, like ever. Not me, nope.

I was chicken-shit-Stephanie after all, and purchasing _anything_ with the words "Property of Carlos" written on it, even as a joke be it a t-shirt, license plate or key chain, was enough to give me nervous heart palpitations that Ranger would find out. Like Ranger was going to _now _I realized in a panic because there was no way a man as observant as he was would miss something like his _NAME_ plastered above my vagina. I hunched forward in my seat trying to subtly glance down to see if the words were visible in my current position and thanked god it was dark inside the car. Course that wasn't going to help me in the parking deck, or the elevator…or the apartment…and it wasn't like I could walk bent over to hide the words or it would look like I was propositioning Ranger for something else! I mentally flashed on Ranger's reaction seeing the words.

_Hooboy, _talk about a HotFlash! I certainly wasn't cold anymore!

I considered leaning forward and banging my head against the dashboard until I passed out, but I didn't want to risk damaging the Batmobile with my hard head. I certainly couldn't afford to pay to fix it. I just hoped I could survive on minimalist clothing needs until my insurance check came through for this latest disaster so I could replace my clothing. Thank God for renters insurance.

"Smell something burning Babe," Ranger chuckled beside me.

I'd like to blame it on the smoke residue in my hair. But we both know that wasn't true, so I leaned forward and hid my face in my hands instead, trying to take some deep calming breaths. It didn't help much. The whole car smelled like Ranger.

Ranger's warm hand cupped the back of my neck. "Babe, you know I'd never do anything you didn't want me to do."

_That's the problem._ I thought, and heard Ranger suck in a breath which probably meant I'd said that out loud and was pretty much the equivalent of anyone else on the planet shouting "Holy Shit!" and then his thumb started drawing a hypnotic circle over the base of my neck, atop my spine right between my shoulder blades and I felt myself 'hmm' in response and my insides clench. _God that felt good. __No, make that Great_. I leaned back into his touch relishing the perfectly calloused warm pads of his fingers trailing over my skin.

"That sounds like _partial consent_ to me Babe," My panties went up in flames at his tone.

_Dear God_, if I wasn't careful I was going to ruin this leather seat. I blushed furiously behind my hands biting my lip. "I think I'm too tired to legally be responsible for my mouth right now." I announced. I certainly couldn't be responsible for my hormones, at least I hoped I wasn't—when did I become such a wanton slut? Oh right, about two seconds after I met Ranger. I groaned into my palms hearing him chuckle and feeling his thumb zero in on a small knot just to the left of my spine, kneading it in a painfully delicious circle forcing it to unravel-like my quickly evaporating self control. God I wanted those hands working on another kinda tension so bad I was ready to climb into his lap—which was a problem because he was still driving.

If talking on the phone while driving in Jersey was illegal you could bet your ass the law probably frowned greatly upon sex while driving as well. Probably best not to risk it and have an accident, I told myself. I mean Ranger was good—no Ranger was _Fucking-Fan-Tastic_, but even Rangers 'Zone' might suffer if I suddenly climbed into his lap and started riding him like a pony. _Oh, God the visuals_. _SweetJesus._

I groaned again, and blamed it on his magic hands trying to control myself. I had no doubt Joe would show up to the scene of that disaster too and then there'd be no escape, plus it was incredibly likely someone else would see my underpants while we waited for the police to fill out the appropriate forms and I could just hear the voice messages from my mother_—_

_"__Stephanie Michelle Plum! __This is your Mother! __What's this I hear about you causing a ten car pile-up on the Jersey Turnpike? __Everyone knows what you were doing! __How can you do this to me? __Eileen Pickie was just on the phone telling me all about it, I've never been so embarrassed in my life, her daughter has a nice respectable job at the personal products plant! __Her daughter would never cause mass-casualties on the highway because she was humping a Cuban Sex God with his name written on her underwear!"_

…well, maybe not exactly that, but it'd be damn close. I sighed and Ranger's fingers squeezed the back of my neck gently. "Relax Babe, nothing will happen tonight." His touch left me after his fingers slid down the sides of my spine to the back of the scoop neck on my tank top making me shiver again. I watch as his hand went back to the wheel and I bit back a groan of frustration.

_Damn. _But those words made my stomach drop to my toes, even if it was the _smart _thing, the _right _thing. He'd just break my heart all over again, and it was painful enough the first time. I didn't need to relive that particular experience in Technicolor, full sensory surround sound even if that single night between the sheets was a thing of true glory and the standard by which I set all other sexual encounters. I'd just keep that information to myself, _thankyouverymuch. _Plus I wasn't certain after the whole Scrog incident that I wouldn't blurt something out in the middle of a doomsday-orgasm from my total lack of filter and too many hormones that wouldn't have Ranger sending me packing to a third world country, or me just dying of embarrassment.

"Thank you," I managed to get out. Ranger nodded and then disappeared into his zone, which was probably for the best. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes enjoying the hot air wafting across my goose bump laden skin and the feel of butter soft leather against my thighs trying to figure out how I was going to pull this off.

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**to be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: ** Sadly these two aren't mine, every once in a while I like to borrow them for some over due and purely fun debauchery before returning them on IV drip the next day looking a little, well, hungover.

**Notes: **Proof that I am writing! Cold of doom when through our house and my son caught it, then the hubby caught it (nothing takes out an Italian stallion like the sniffles,) then the cold got me...and then circled back round to you guessed it, the baby again. _Yikes._

_(_ And yes you read that right! The hubby is Italian and yes he is actually born and bred in NJ, but don't judge me Babe fans Ranger wasn't real! I checked the phone book first!) ; P

This is **Rated M** for Mmmmmm...

don't say I didn't warn you! ; D

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**Chapter Two**

_"__Thank you," I managed to get out. Ranger nodded and then disappeared into his zone, which was probably for the best.__I leaned my head back and closed my eyes enjoying the hot air wafting across my goose bump laden skin and the feel of butter soft leather against my thighs trying to figure out how I was going to pull this off._

I must have fallen asleep instead because the next thing I knew Ranger was saying '_Babe_' and we were parked in the garage at Haywood and I still had _no idea_ what I was going to do. _Well, Fuck_. I slumped forward to hide my face in my hands again.

"Babe?" Ranger was staring at me, I could feel it.

"Ranger, I'm wearing a _thong_," I finally managed by way of explanation.

Ranger's dark chuckle did dangerous things below my waistline. "Babe, I already called upstairs and had them disable the cameras for the garage, elevator and the seventh floor hallway."

_Oh._ Well that was a little better I guess. I should have thought of that. I peeked over my fingertips at him, his lips were turned up in an almost smile. "Are you sure they're _really_ off?"

"They better be." Ranger said his eyes darkening further sweeping up the expanse of my bare legs. "I'd hate to have to beat Lester and Cal to death during the morning meeting."

"Oh my god, _Lester's_ up there? That's like expecting my grandma not to peek at a closed casket viewing!" That was it, I realized, my bare ass was going to be the background on every Rangeman computer by 7am tomorrow morning! I'd never be able to show my face in Trenton again, certainly not at Rangeman at least…

"Babe, I don't doubt that Santos would like to enjoy the view I'm getting right now, but he also values his life." Ranger all but growled the threat left hanging in the air between us. And okay, Ranger could be pretty scary, but Lester was a total horn-dog. I sat for another moment chewing my lower lip mulling it over which one of these two factors was a greater motivator…

Ranger broke into my internal debate a moment later. "Babe, it's almost 4am and I have meetings all day starting at 0730."

A wave of guilt crashed over me. _God, I was always fucking up his life._ "I'm so sorry," I was not going to cry I told myself. It was just this day had sucked, and sometimes it got to me. I sighed and scrubbed my fingers over my face fighting for calm.

"For what Babe?" The hand was back on my neck, fingers kneading gently, aiming to sooth.

"I don't know," I started, "For being _me_, for dragging you out of bed again in the middle of the night…"

"I happened to like _you_," Ranger sent me his almost grin then added more quietly "No apologies Babe, No price remember? I'm just glad you weren't hurt, but if we don't get upstairs so I can get some sleep I'm going to be forced to investigate that thong. And I don't think there's enough room in this front seat to do it properly." And his eyes darkened dangerously.

My eyes went wide and I jerked the car door open and about strangled myself in the seatbelt in my attempt to flee while Ranger chuckled behind me and released the belt himself with a warm and amused "_Babe_…" He opened the driver side door and circled the car to where I had my butt pressed to the side staring suspiciously up at the visible camera lens closest to us. Ranger followed my gaze to the supposedly disabled camera and shaking his head once snatched my upper arm with one hand and yanked me towards him twisting me mid-step with his grip, his other arm locking around my waist trapping me with his solid well-muscled chest suddenly against my back.

Ranger started moving toward the elevator effectively shuffling behind me with a wide stance that kept him from stepping on my bare feet with his flat soled military boots while successfully pushing me forward with damn near _every inch_ of his rock hard body pressed flush against mine. His position behind me also meritoriously hiding my ass from possible cameras and voyeurs. But not the words on my thong I realized with a flash akin to panic.

I grabbed my tank top hem in both hands and yanked the edge down hoping to cover as much of my panties as possible. Course this forced the neckline dangerously low on my chest and made my nipples standing at attention all the more noticeable under the taut material. Since the tank top was almost the same cream color of my skin and the cotton was so thin and I wasn't wearing a bra there wasn't much left to the imagination. You could make out the perfect outline my nipples and locate my belly button probably from ten feet away.

Apparently Ranger noticed too because he glanced over my shoulder, then growled against the back of my neck, and his arms shifted around me, his fingers tightened on my hipbone as his forearm became a steel band around my waist molding my back to his chest while his other hand moved up to cup my right breast squeezing with a perfect pressure making me gasp and my knees go weak.

I _think_ I stopped breathing when I felt the wet heat of his mouth against the side of my neck. I _know_ I started panting when he sucked the same skin into his mouth adding a mind blowing suction that had me gasping on wobbly legs, his teeth nipping at me no doubt leaving a small mark that hopefully wouldn't linger in the morning, 'cause that was just what I needed; to leave Ranger's apartment covered in hickeys after showing up in a thong...

My steps faltered under the onslaught of sensations Ranger was giving me and I sucked in a shaky breath my hands gripping his arms wound tightly around me afraid if he let go I'd stumble to my knees right here on the garage floor.

He was still pushing me in the direction of the elevator even with his face pressed to my skin, muttering words too low for me to recognize—it took my hormone-frazzled brain a second to realize I couldn't understand them because he'd slipped into Spanish. And even not having a clue what he was saying—the context was glaringly obvious.

Ranger wanted me, when his pelvis ground against my bare ass a moment later the rush of heat that zipped up my spine feeling his hard length against my back was enough to flush my cheeks and make my eyes prick with overwhelmed tears. _God, I wanted him so bad. _I bit my lip on a whimper and every part of me trembled.

I was going to be miserable in the morning—I was going to hate myself, I was going to be a big ball of Catholic burg-girl guilt and sick to my stomach dealing with the aftermath but that didn't stop my panties from going impossibly wet and my nipples from tightening to hard almost painful points. And when Ranger twisted my head to reach my lips using his fingers on my chin and slipped two fingers on his other wandering hand past the lacy edge of my panties to trace my slit my knees almost gave out for real and I suddenly couldn't bring myself to give a shit about how tomorrow would feel.

_Fuck tomorrow morning, I'd deal with that shit later._ I wanted _right now_ like I wanted air, I _needed _this, needed _him_ or I might die…

"Christ, Steph Babe, you're so wet." Ranger breathed against my lips fingers sliding over me and then he lapsed into Spanish again pressing a trail of kisses up the side of my neck and back to my mouth. Somewhere in the background I heard an elevator button ding and felt myself being pushed forward. I spared half a brain cell wondering how in the Hell Ranger managed to push the call button in the first place when I hadn't missed his hands on my skin for longer than a split second…and then I hissed in a breath of shock when my bare butt cheeks came into contact with the cold paneled wall of the elevator and gasped my exhale in a startled rush when Ranger's hands encircled my hips and he lifted me up to press me back against the wall trapping me against his chest. My legs wrapped around his hips all on their own and I started rubbing against him like a cat while he kissed me senseless our mouths melting against one another in an erotic dance that mimicked what I desperately wanted our lower halves to be doing as well.

Ranger alternated hot hungry kisses that made my bones melt and my blood boil with groaned utterings in a confusing and yet equally memorizing mix of Spanish and English. It was a language all his own and completely captivating. I'd only heard it once before in our one night together after our 'Deal.' The words I could catch in my own language were desperate, and wickedly possessive and definitely complimentary.

My fingers left his shoulders of their own accord and tangled in the long silk hair trapped at the nape of his neck in a low ponytail, gripping the leather tie and sliding it free so his hair spilled loose around his shoulders. God I loved this man's hair. I wound my fingers through it relishing its thick weight, the way the unique scent of Ranger was stronger with the strands loose and tangled in my hands. Ranger groaned the sound morphing into a growl halfway out of his chest when my mouth found the pulse point beating frantically beneath his ear, tracing it with my tongue I bit down. Ranger's hips leapt forward under my assault grinding against me and I wondered if my lower back would bear bruises from the elevator wall in the morning.

"God, Dios…Babe, stop. Dios me da fuerza ... you could tempt God himself to sin babe, you feel so good, que huele tan bien, se siente como el cielo. Quiero sumergirme dentro de ti y que no deje…"

I could only understand half of what he was saying, but that fact that he'd lapsed into complete Spanish in an almost animalistic growl that bit off into a groan at the end told me just how close to losing his famous control he really was. The grip of his fingers against my hipbone felt pretty desperate as he ground his hard length against me. The sensations coursing through me at his touch had me struggling to remember how to breathe, and my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest…

I laid my cheek against his shoulder hiding my face against the warm Bvlgari scented skin, relishing the heat rolling off him in intoxicating waves scorching my skin even through his shirt and mine while his hands rubbed possessively up and down my bare thighs still draped around his waist.

The elevator stopped and Ranger didn't even set me down, he shifted his grip to cup my ass in both hands lifting me up and pulling me closer to him. One hand snaked up to my lower back crushing me against his chest. "Hold on Babe,"

He had us down the hallway and miraculously through the door to the penthouse with minimal fumbling of his keys in one hand despite holding my weight with his other arm and my body clinging to him in what I at least thought was a _very_ distracting way.

Ranger kicked the door shut, the keys missed the silver dish on the sideboard by the absence of the little clinking sound I'd come to associate with Ranger coming through the door. They hit the wood instead sliding across the dark surface with a metallic scraping sound that only partially registered in the background and then my back was flat against the closed door and Ranger's mouth was sealed to mine, tongue and teeth and lips fought for dominance and it really was no contest as he took control with first his mouth and then his hands. His grip skating over my thighs and up to my hips, tracing up the sides of my ribs bunching the tank top under my breasts trapped flush against his warm muscled chest. I broke the kiss to gasp for air feeling dizzy my head falling back against the door to stare blindly at the ceiling, heart racing, pulse pounding in my ears and Ranger moved to investigate the side of my neck. His mouth latched onto the sensitive skin where neck meets collar and I moaned when he sucked the skin there, drawing it into his mouth probably hard enough to mark me. I cried out so close to falling over the edge it was a little frightening my legs shaking around him, my whole body trembling with need. I shuddered hard when he slid his teeth over the same mark, growling darkly against my neck and then he pulled away with a guttural curse and set my legs down on the floor and I blinked at him in confusion and my knees wobbled a little bit and Ranger was fishing in his pocket with one hand.

And then the noise I was hearing suddenly made sense. Ranger's phone was ringing.

_Damn. Shit. Fuck. Looked like I wasn't getting that orgasm._I thought about turning around and banging my head against the door.

Ranger shot me a wolf grin pressing his body flush against mine hiking one thigh up over his free hand and grinding my back against the door as he pressed into me making me moan and flush with wetness. "Hold that thought babe," He growled and answered his phone with a sharp bark of, "Talk."

His expression darkened a moment later and his eyes narrowed in annoyance. Ranger cursed and he sounded _very_ pissed off. "Can it be delayed?" He was staring down at me, expression difficult to read as he spoke that last part, his eyes blacker then midnight dilated to fathomless pools of ebony I could barely blink to break his gaze they were so intense. I fought the sinking feeling in my stomach watching his face, I knew where this was going.

"Assholes have perfect fucking timing," Ranger hissed into the phone and I thought I heard whoever was on the line bark something derogatory in response. It sounded a little like Tank's baritone.

Ranger cursed again. "Stephanie is staying on Seven. Have Cal send her paperwork over to the insurance company for the apartment first thing in the morning, send Ella out for wardrobe essentials. Her cubicle on five is open if she wants it and add her to the duty roster for the next month." My stomach sank to my toes.

_Uh oh. __"_Am I in danger_?" _I thought they'd said my building going up in flames was from a space heater that got tipped over in one of the older resident's apartments, was that wrong?

Ranger hung up and dropped his forehead to the crook of my neck breathing me in, the hand not holding my leg wrapped half around his waist slipped behind my lower back crushing my to him. I waited as the heart beats stretched on liquid and long slowly blending into almost a minute. Ranger still hadn't moved. His breathe was hot and distracting against my skin and if felt very much like he was steeling himself to tell me something he didn't want to.

"I don't believe so, but your building is a total loss, I'd like you to stay here, work downstairs, at least for a little while just until we make sure. Ella will have clothing for you in the morning—and of course you have your Rangeman uniforms and a few basics in my closet."

I doubted Ranger's hesitation was over the work request. "Bat signal?" I breathed into his hair trying to keep my tone light and failing miserably.

_Pull it together Stephanie._

Ranger nodded very slowly and his lips brushed the side of my neck again and his hand slide higher up my thigh making me gasp and bite my lip.

"How long?" I whispered. It could be days, weeks…._God it could be months…_

"A few weeks, I have less than an hour to report—seems they can't wait."

"Tank and the guys?"

"No, they'll be here."

_Just him._ I was never sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing that he didn't have backup, did that mean his mission wasn't that dangerous? My arms went around his waist without conscious thought clinging to him. He felt so warm, and solid and real. And in an hour he'd be gone; just like smoke, like he'd never been.

"Ranger kiss me," It came out a breathless whimper, and a little desperate. But he was leaving, and I suddenly needed to feel him against me before he was gone.

He drew his face from against my neck and met my eyes and then he leaned in. My eyes slipped shut and his lips felt warm and soft and giving, and then his fingers tightened on my thigh and he groaned from somewhere in his throat and I was suddenly off the floor and wound tightly around him once more. His lips became demanding, the nips became sharper more desperate his tongue warring with mine, seeking dominance, claiming every corner of my mouth as his own while a deep growl vibrated into my chest from his. I clung to his shoulders, drug my nails down his back over his t-shirt, bunched my fists in the material over his spine and moaned my encouragements against his mouth.

"We have to stop," He groaned a few minutes later when I wasn't sure I could talk, let alone stop. I tangled my fingers in his thick hair and dragged his mouth back against mine in response and Ranger gripped me tighter, pulled me away from the door and spun on his heel in the darkness carrying me across his apartment, he kicked open his bedroom door the rest of the way with one foot so we didn't bump into it and then he dropped us both onto the bed with a short bounce. I squealed in surprise—not at the short fall but at the heat that shot through every fiber of my being at the sudden feel of the mattress against my back and 220 pounds of hard Cuban muscle that made up the deliciously warm and tantalizing male against my front.

_God Yes, _I thought and then I moaned rolling my hips up into his.

"Killing me babe," Ranger groaned breathing hot and fast against my neck and then he was yanking the tank top over my head and flinging it away to the floor and his mouth closed over my breast, that expert tongue flicking over one taut nipple and fire shot down my spine, my knees bent and wrapped around him gripping him to me grinding my body against him.

Ranger pulled back from me without warning, shaking his head as if to clear a fog his eyes searched my face for a moment, almost as if he were memorizing me and then he leaned farther back, pushing himself up on his arms to let his gaze sweep down my body in the low light I wasn't sure how clearly he was seeing and then he let out a husky laugh that vibrated his body in the most amazing way against some very sensitive parts of me and I blinked up at him in lust filled confusion.

"Babe." Ranger rocked back onto his heels between my legs and I let my feet fall from around his lower back as he escaped. Ranger's eyes were locked on my panties and I knew exactly why. He went very still as only Batman can and slowly raised his eyes and shot me a look under one perfectly raised brow.

My first thought was, why am I the only one who can't do that? Then I realized I was lying flat on my back and Ranger could read my thong. _OhShit._

"No wonder you didn't want the cop to see this, definitely my new favorite thong babe." Ranger shot me a 2000 watt grin and smoothed his hands up my thighs while I trembled, my stomach fluttering out of control at the searing heat in his gaze. "That's not even partial consent babe," his fingers hooked over the waistband against my hipbones and my breath caught. He held my gaze for the span of one frantic heartbeat, "you're clearly labeled as all _mine_." and then his fingers started their slow crawl back down, and took the scrap of lace with them.

I tried to remember how to breath, I tried to think of something to say, but my tongue suddenly wouldn't work and then Ranger was leaning over me and his tongue was exploring the edge of my belly button and my breath hissed out in surprise and the sweet rush of lust at the feel of his hot mouth moving down my abdomen pausing and diverting here and there to leave little kisses and love bites. _Sweet Jesus_ the things this man can do with his mouth, they should be outlawed...no wait they should be studied and handed out in manuals across the country because _DearGod_, and he hadn't even touched me where I really wanted him to yet. No Ranger was taking his sweet time and I was on the verge of losing my mind.

I fisted my fingers tighter against his scalp and tried to remember when I'd let my fingers leave the bed to tangle in his hair then I forgot about that line of thought and simply started using my grip desperately trying to direct his suddenly infuriating mouth to where I needed it to go. I huffed and I panted and I groaned in frustration and Ranger's breath puffed across me in a blatant tease of heat with what sounded suspiciously like wicked laughter and just when I thought I might die if he didn't do something he dropped his mouth to the perfect spot and I nearly shot off the bed in answer.

_Omigod!_ My back arched, every muscle contracted. Ranger growled and worked the heat of his mouth deeper and I cussed and bucked and the whole world came apart. I opened my eyes blinking up at the ceiling trying to clear the cobwebs of lust and little spots of light from my eyes. Ranger's mouth was moving slowly up my hip he nipped against my side just under the curve of my ribs and my body coiled and tensed in response, aftershocks still winding their way through my insides. I realized he was saying something every time he paused to lick and kiss some part of the drunken path his mouth was making over my body. I had to focus to make it out past the rush of my pulse still pounding very unsteadily in my ears.

Ranger's mouth caressed my waistline and he whispered, "_mine_-," his nose trailed over to press his lips to the hollow of my navel and he traced his tongue around it's rim and once again I heard the whispered claim that sent a rush of heat down my spine. "_Mine_—" he kissed my breastbone, "_mine_—" and the sensitive underside on first one side whispering against my flesh, and then the other before flicking his tongue around one impossibly sensitive tight peak. I arched under him as his mouth closed over tender flesh and I felt heat and teeth and Ranger growled again. He ground his hips down into my aching flesh, need tearing through me like a firestorm making me tremble and gasp for breath.

His god damn phone was ringing again.

Ranger started to reach for it and I slapped it out of his hand. We both stared at each other as it bounced across the carpet and based on the slightly plastic sounding _crash_ ended up on the tile floor of the bathroom somewhere. I grabbed his ass in both hands and pulled him down against me again. "Babe—"

"No."

I rolled my hips against his and Ranger's eyes grew darker his jaw tightening to a hard line.

"babe—"

"GodDamnit Ranger! Is there a nuclear device about to go off somewhere in Gotham City in the next five minutes?"

One brow rose.

"Is Joker about to destroy Lady Liberty?"

"No—" Ranger started and the other eyebrow was climbing now too, maybe cause I was looking a little crazy—hell I was _feeling_ a little crazy right now.

"Then so help me God if you don't get _inside me_ in the next thirty seconds I'm going to hurt you or find someone big enough that can!"

Ranger made a sound that was purely animalistic and seriously hot, and in the next blink I swear to god his pants were just _gone_. I didn't even get a chance to process that marvel though because in the span of the next heartbeat he was _in_ me. And I was helpless to do anything but arch, and bow and shudder and moan. What can I say? The Wizard really is _magic._

Ranger cursed against the side of my neck and just paused there for a tense moment while both of us tried to process a thousand nerve endings standing at attention and almost singing the halleluiah choir. And if I thought that was amazing then Ranger started to move and _Omigod_ let's just say memory, even some dame good ones, pale in comparison to the real thing.

He pulled back leaving me almost completely to tremble and fight the ache of emptiness his withdrawal left then he just sort of hung back for a moment watching me quiver and gasp, waiting for something. I opened my mouth to beg him to come back and something scarily close to a whimper slipped out. And Ranger folded, rushing back to fill me a hard, and fast and _Oh god,_ _yes!_ He didn't pause this time. I don't think he could, not if the need spurring him on was anywhere near as desperate as mine. His arms wound under my back tilting my hips up to his frantic thrusts and suddenly Ranger was a man on a very primal mission. And Finally! This was a mission I could throw my support behind.

I moved against him in counterpoint as much as my shaking overtaxed muscles would allow which wasn't much after multiple doomsday orgasms so I basically just held on for one wild epic ride. The pressure was building low in my belly, spiraling tighter with each pleasure inducing drive, and then the Spanish started up and every part of my body just melted. Time stretched and went liquid and gold each breath seemed to stagger and hang in the back of my throat, my pulse rushed in my ears turning into white noise and every nerve in my body shot off in one seriously phenomenal explosion of brain destroying lust. I shuddered and rocked, my entire spine locked and I felt Ranger's muscles bunch and my hands somehow found the wherewithal to grope the globes of his perfect ass, griping him tight and hanging on for the ride. Ranger hissed in an earth shattering exclamation that sounded like part pleasure and pain and I felt him let go with the same force as a volcano. He shouted wordlessly face buried against the side of my neck and his entire frame shook like an earthquake against me and then I had a very heavy, very sexy Cuban Sex God draped over me in boneless aftermath.

We lay there gasping and before I could slow my heart rate enough to even distinguish one pounding heartbeat from the next let alone work my way up to large muscle control to lift my head or move Ranger was pushing off of me to stand beside the bed. He paused to press one open mouthed kiss to the flat of my belly just below my breastbone with a barely discernable flick of tongue and a quickly whispered and reverent sounding "babe," and then just like he'd done before he was _gone._

_Oh Fuck. _I rolled to my side and buried my face in my hands. _What have I done?_

* * *

**TBC...**


End file.
